Pink bloom at BonelliErede

Pink bloom at BonelliErede

Italian law firm adopts female quota by appointing three women to its governance board

Leading Italian law firm BonelliErede has revamped its governance setup by appointing a trio of women to its board in a bid to improve gender balance at the firm's senior level.

The European Union through legislation in 2012 had first introduced the concept of 'Pink Quota' to raise the proportion of women on the boards of large listed companies across the bloc to 40 per cent.

BonelliErede in response had decided to have the presence of at least one woman serving on its board. The firm, however, exceeded its set target by having three women on its board instead.

BonelliErede has announced that six new board members, including three women, will be joining its revamped board. They will join the re-appointed president Stefano Simontacchi and managing partner Andrea Carta Mantiglia. BonelliErede says it is looking to foster greater diversity and inclusion within its leadership team. The move to have three women on its board is a step towards meeting that target.

The six newly appointed board members are partners Giulia Bianchi Frangipane, Riccardo Bordi, Eliana Catalano, Massimiliano Danusso, Giuseppe Manzo and Silvia Romanelli. Stefano Nanni Costa will also return to serve another term on the board.

Simontacchi and Mantiglia in a joint statement said the leadership changes mark the next step in the firm's growth journey, adding that it plans to strive for sustainable development over time and become a law firm of the future, as the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement continues to gain traction among European law firms.

"We see the pink quota in the broader context of diversity and inclusion. This will be a strong point for the firm going forward and as we continue to encourage female partners to run for elections to ensure greater female representation at the board level," Andrea Carta Mantiglia, managing partner of BonelliErede, said.